Apparatus for blanking materials



June 27, 1944. N. M. OLNEY 2,352,339

APPARATUS FOR BLANKING MATERIALS Filed Sept. 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN'VENTOR MM. O'LNEY' ATTORNEY June 27, 1944. N. M. OLNEY 2,352,339

APPARATUS FOR BLANKINQ MATERIALS Filed Sept. 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG- 3 5! FIG. 4

MP3 Fitz W INVENTOI? MM. OLNEY A TTORNEY Patented June 27, 1944 APPARATUS FOR. BLANKING. MATERIALS Nathaniel M. Olney, Jersey City, N. J assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 4, 1942, Serial No. 457,369

(Cl. Hid-18) 9 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for blanking';materials, particularly those of the brittle type.

Extreme care must be taken in blanking materials of the brittle type, such as fibres, plastics and the like, to eliminate fractures and breakage during such operations. To minimize damage to suchmaterials they are ofttimes heated prior to theblanking operations, yet even then it is difiicult to blank materialsof considerable thickness and have the product free of fractures. To eliminate such difiiculties it has been found highly advantageous to score such materials prior to the blanking or punching operation.

An object of the invention is to providea simple yet highly efficient apparatus for scoring a material prior to the punching of the part therefrom.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises an apparatus for scoring a material at positions where the material is to be punched, and subsequently punching the scored portion of the material. I e

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the-accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus; 1

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the lower portion of the apparatus, this view being taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentarydetailed view illustrating another species of the invention, and

Fig, 4 is a sectional view of material resulting from the structure illustrated in Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Figs. '1 and 2, wherein a die shoe Ill is formed for mounting upon atable of a conventional press (not shown) and provided with an opening II for the passage of the punched or blanked parts. A die I2 ismounted upon the die shoe II] in a suitable manner and includes a die opening I4 and a cavity I5, the latter being provided for the lower scoring mechanism.

The lower scoring mechanism includes a scoring element I6 of the contour illustrated in Fig. 2 and provided with a flanged base I! for securing, with the aid of screws I8, to the die shoe Ill. The upper edge I9 of the element I6 may be called a scoring edge, and is of the bevelled contour shown, to perform ascore of the contour illustrated at 20, inthe under surface of material 2|. Pressure or stripping members 23 and 24 are respectively disposed within and without the scoring element I6, the former filling the area within the element while the latter surrounds and conforms to the element, as will be observed by viewing Figs. land 2. The members 23 and 4 are supported by springs 25 and 26 respectively, and are normally urged outwardly thereby. The outward movement of the member 23 is limited by the screws 28 while the outward movement of the member 24 is limited by a shoulder in the cavity I5. The screws 28 and the said shoulder in the cavity I5 are adapted to position their respective members 23 and 24 so that their outer surfaces will lie in a common plane beyond the scoring edge I9 of the element I6 when the apparatusis in opened position.

Attention is now directed to the upper half of the apparatus, which illustrates an upper die shoe 30 supported by the reciprocal portion of the press (not shown) and supporting a punch member 3I adapted to cooperate with the die opening I4 in the final operation, which will hereinafter be described.

. A pressure or stripping member 32, surrounding the punch member 3 I, is supported by springs 33 and conventional limit screws 34, to cause functioning of the member 32 to hold the material 21 during the operation of the apparatus and to strip the material from the punch member during the opening half of the operating cycle.

Attention is now directed to the upper scoring structure, which includesascoring element 36 similar in contour to the scoring element I6 and having a scoring edgez3l identical in contour to the scoring edge I9, and of the similar bevelled type to form .a score 38-of the same contour and in direct alignment'with the score 20. The element 3B is secured to the die shoe 30 by means of screws 39,. these screws extending through a flangeportion-Ail ofv the element. In a similar manner, pressure or stripping members 4| and 42 are respectively disposed within and without the element 36 and conform to the contour thereof. These members are normally urged downwardly by springs 44 and '45 respectively, which are in the. presentinstance stronger or provided with greater force than the springs 25 and 26. The movementof'the members AI and 42 may be controlled by suitable screws 46.

Considering now the operation of the apparatus, let it be understood that suitable means may be provided to-advancethe material H intermittently in'the direction of the arrow sufficient distances during'each movement to position the portion scored at the first station in direct alignment with the punch member 3| and die opening 14 at the second station. Other means may also be provided to guide the material during its movement.

When the material is at rest, attention is first directed to the first station, that is the portion of the apparatus including'the scoring elements [6 and 36. During one operating cycle of the apparatus the die shoe 30, with its attached structure, is moved downwardly and during this movement the members 4! and 42, with their lower surfaces lying in a common plane, will engage the material 2|, and, due to the fact that the springs 44 and 45 have greater force than the springs 25 and 26, the latter will be compressed through downward movement of their members 23 and 24. This movement is continued until the material rests upon the upper surface of the die l2, and during this movement the material has been forced onto the scoring edge IQ of the element 16, causing the scoring edge to cut into the lower surface of the material to form thescore 20.

The half cycle has not been completed, as there is continued movement downwardly of the upper die structure to cause compression of the springs 44 and 45 sufficient for the continued downward movement of the scoring element 36 until the score 38 is formed thereby, in the upper surface of the material. When this has been accomplished, one half of the operating cycle of the apparatus has been completed, and upon the return stroke the various parts move in their reverse action, that is the element 36 is moved free of the material until the springs 44 and 45 have been extended their full limit controlled by the screws 46, after which the members 23 and 24 will be rendered effective to move the material free of the element 16. At this time the material may be advanced to position the scored portion thereof in registration with the punch member 3| and die opening [4, so that during the next cycle of operation of the apparatus the scored portion will be pushed by the punch memher through the die opening and allowed to drop into a receptacle (not shown) beneath the aperture H. 1

With the scoring elements shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the inner Walls of the scored portions 20 and 38 are in vertical alignment with each other to produce the portion with vertical outer edges. If it is desired to provide the aperture in the material or work with the vertical edges and leave the depressed or disturbed edges in the portion removed, scoring elements 50 and identical in every detail to the elements "5 and 36 respectively with the exception of scoring edges 52 and 53 thereof, may be provided to accomplish this result. It will be observed that the bevelled contours of the edges 52 and 53 are the reverse of those of the former elements I6 and 36, so that the outer surfaces of scores 54 and '55 are in vertical alignment with each other. The result of the truly vertical surface 56 of the aperture after the scored part has been removed is illustrated in Fig. 4. The results illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 may be produced by the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the substitution of the scoring elements 50 and 5| for th scoring elements l6 and 36.

With the aid of the apparatus a material may be scored where a portion is to be removed therefrom. In this manner a cut or score is mad in one surface of the material short of the full thickness thereof. Subsequently, another score is made in the opposite surface of the material in direct alignment with that of the first score yet short of the full thickness thereof and short of the first score. As a result thereof, the portion to be blanked is cut from the material excepting the central area which serves to support the portion for the final operation. Therefore, as the greatest abuse to material during blanking operations occurs to the surfaces of the material in starting the cut, such has been eliminated by the scores and breakage or fracture of the material is thus avoided. Subsequently, the material adjacent the scored portion is supported while pressure is applied to th portion to push it free of the material. During this time the area receiving the final punching operation is spaced from the surfaces of the material and is supported against damage by the outer or scored areas of the material.

It has been defined that the surfaces of the material are scored at different intervals at the same station during the operating cycle of the apparatus. It should be understood, that if so desired, the opposite surfaces may be scored at different stations at different operating cycles or they may be scored simultaneously during each operating cycle.

Although specific improvements of the inven tion have been shown and described, itwill be understood that they ar but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for blanking material comprising opposing scoring elements, means to support a material between the elements, means to cause relative movement of the elements to cause their forming of scores in opposite surfaces of the material surrounding a portion thereof and a pressure pad cooperating with the said moving means to-control forming of the scores at different intervals, and means to push the portion from the material.

2. An apparatus for blanking material comprising opposing scoring elements, pressure pads therefor having compressible means of varied forces, means to support a material between the elements, means to cause relative movement of the elements and their pressure pads to cause form ing of aligned scores at different intervals in opposite surfaces of the material surrounding a portion thereof, and means to push the portion from the material. I

3. An apparatus for blanking material com prising companion die units having a scoring station and a punching station, the scoring station comprising a scoring element and a companion pressure member adapted to cause forming of score surrounding a portion of a material dis posed between the units when relative movement is imparted to the units, the punching station comprising means to punch a portion scored-at the first station from the material during relative movement of the units. J

4. An apparatus for blanking material com-.1 prising companion die units having ascoring station and a punching station, the scoring station comprising opposing scoring elements adaptedto cause forming of aligned scores iii-opposite surfaces of a material disposed betweenthe units and surrounding a portion thereof when relative movement is imparted to the units, thepunch ing station comprising means to punch-a portion scored at the first station from the material during relative movement of the units. i

faces of the material surrounding a portion thereof, and a pressure pad for one of the elements having a compressible means to hold the material free of its element until the score formed by the other element has been completed.

6. An apparatus for blanking material comprising a fixed scoring element, an opposing movable scoring element, means to support a material between the elements, means to move the movable element relative to the fixed element to cause forming of aligned scores in opposite surfaces of the material surrounding a portion thereof, a

pressure pad for one of the elements having a compressible means to hold the material free of its element until the score formed by the other element has been completed, a die spaced from the fixed scoring element, and a punch carried by the said moving means and cooperating with the die to subsequently punch the scored portion from the material.

7. An apparatus for blanking material comprising a fixed scoring element, an opposing movable scoring element, means to support a material between the elements, means to move the movable element relative to the fixed element to cause forming of aligned scores in opposite surfaces of the material surrounding a portion thereof, a pressure pad for one of the elements having a compressible means to hold the material free of its element until the score formed by the other element has been completed, a die spaced from the fixed scoring element, and a fiat surfaced punch carried [by the said movingmeans and cooperating with the die to subsequently punch the scored portion from the material.

8. An apparatus for blanking material comprising a fixed scoring element, an opposing movable scoring element, means to support a material between the elements, means to move the movable element relative to the fixed element to cause forming of aligned scores in opposite surfaces of the material surrounding a portion thereof, a pressure pad for one of the elements having a compressible means to hold the material free of its element until the score formed by the other element has been completed, and a pressure pad for the other element actuable to free the material therefrom after the forming of the scores. 9. An apparatus for blanking material comprising a fixed scoring element, an opposing movable scoring element, means to support a material between the elements, a member to support the movable element movable relative to the fixed element to cause forming of aligned scores in opposite surfaces of the material surrounding a portion thereof, and a pressure pad carried by the member and movable in advance of the movable element to cause forming of the score by the fixed element prior to the forming of the score by the movable element.

NATHANIEL M. OLNEY. 

